


Femme Fatale

by brokenglass



Category: RocknRolla (2008), The Take (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gangs, Mild Language, The Take x RocknRolla, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-09-23
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:58:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenglass/pseuds/brokenglass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Wild Bunch have been able to go about their 'business' easily, keeping off the radar. </p><p>But when a new girl, Bella, arrives everything is thrown into turmoil. </p><p>And it's really not helped when two men want the same girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I cover my ears with my hands but they do nothing to block out the noise from downstairs. I can't make out what's being said, it's a collision of screams and shouts and I hug my knees into my chest. I take hold of the fluffy pillow on my bed and I plunge my hands into the soft fluff and pull it closer into my body. It's always been like this, the arguing. But today is different, their voices are louder and I can hear things shattering. The overwhelming feeling of sadness washes over me like a black cloud, this is the end. I've never had a good relationship with my mum, I wasn't a planned child. I'm close to my dad, and the thought of losing him is enough to cripple me. 

Suddenly there's silence and I remove my hands from my ears. I hear feet thundering up the stairs and my heart leaps into my mouth wondering if it's mum coming to shout at me now she's finished with dad. But my door doesn't open and my thumping heart tries to settle itself inside my rib cage. I sit for a few moments in silence, straining to hear a sound. I build up the courage to move, although I daren't make a sound, in case I disturb the deafening silence that has fallen. I creep towards my bedroom door and open it slowly. I almost feel the anger hit me in a breeze when I open the door and I have to push through it like a cloud of thick smoke. My feet surge forward into mum and dad's room, where dad is hastily packing his clothes. My heart almost falls out of my body, this can't be happening. Dad can't be leaving; he can't leave me here all alone with a woman I'm sure hates my existence. 

"What are you doing?" I whimper, my voice cracking at the end. Dad turns quickly on his heels and I can see the pain on his face, his eyes are red and puffy and his cheek is red with a white handprint on it. His features soften from anger to sadness as he shuffles over to me as I stand in the doorway. His hands fall to my shoulders and I instantly feel comforted, his presence being enough. 

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm sorry you always have to listen to this" a tear rolls down his cheek and he wipes it away with his sleeve. 

"But your mum has made up her mind" he continues "she no longer wants me here anymore" there's suddenly a lump in my throat and I try everything I can to swallow it, but it feels like its coated in glue, it sticks to the walls of my throat and refuses to leave. 

"I don't want you to go dad" I whimper, wrapping my arms around him and pulling myself into him. His arms wrap around me tightly and he hugs me close. 

"I'm sorry Bella, I'm so sorry. But your mother just doesn't love me anymore; I don't think she ever did. I can't stay here anymore, I have to respect her wish for me to leave" he explains as he strokes my hair. I clamp my eyes shut, forcing the tears away, trying to stop the burning feeling in my stomach. 

"I want to come with you" my mouth says before I've even thought about it, but I don't try and take it back. Dad unwraps his arms and holds me at arm’s length, searching my face for any sign that I might be joking, he can't find any, because I'm not. He sighs and rubs his forehead. I haven't noticed until now that he's aged considerably in the past few months. There are speckles of grey in his brown hair and the lines and wrinkles in his skin have become deeper. 

"I don't think that would be the best idea Bella, I have no clue where I'm going to go. And you're mum would never let you come with me" 

"Of course she would" I argue "she doesn't love me dad and she never will. She never wanted me" I bite my lip to stop new tears forming, every time I say it, it makes my heart break a little more. Dad sighs and pulls me back into him, his warmth and the smell of his aftershave engulfs me. 

"You know that I'd do anything to have you with me Bella, but how can I give you what you need without your mum?"

"You already give me everything dad, don't you see that? You come to everything at school, you pay for everything I want, she doesn't do anything for me dad" he sighs in defeat, knowing I'm right. He pulls my hair away from my wet cheeks and puts it behind my ear. 

"Go and pack your bag sweetheart. But lightly, I'll get you some new stuff. We'll stay at a friend of mines while I try and sort us a place out. Remember that you will always be able to come back ok, your mother is still your mother and she loves you. Regardless of how she shows it" He squeezes me tightly before I rush to my room to pack. I do as I am told; packing the things I will need most, leaving the non essential stuff out. My mind races as I zip up my bag, even though my heart knows this is what I should be doing, my mind still doubts whether this is the right decision. What if this all goes horribly wrong, what if dad and I don't find anywhere to live? Would mum take us back? I silence my thoughts, dad will look after me, I reason with myself. He always has. 

I haul my bag over my shoulder and go back into my dad's room. He sits on the bed, a framed picture in his hand as he stares down at it. The black cloud of sadness seems to rumble with thunder as I sit down next to him and I see that is mum and dad’s wedding picture. I notice that mum is smiling, something she rarely does. 

"She isn't the woman I married Bella. The woman I married was always happy and smiling, she hadn't a care in the world" dad says and I believe him, she looks so happy in the photo. 

"Her eyes don't show love anymore, and I don't want to be with a woman who doesn't love me when I love her with all of my heart" Dad wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side with a large sigh.

“We’ll be alright sweetheart. As long as I’ve got you, I’ll be ok” he says as he kisses my forehead. I believe him, as long as I have him, everything will be ok. He places the picture back on the bedside table and we get up from the bed together. My heart pounds as I follow dad down the stairs, I know am making the right decision, but how will mum feel knowing I’m leaving too. 

“Bella, Bella what are you doing?” I hear her say as I reach the bottom step. I close my eyes to hold back more tears. Although she’s never shown me much love, never acted like she ever wanted me, she’s my mum all the same. 

“I’m going with dad” I say, my voice cracking. I momentarily see the hurt flicker through her bright green eyes. It disappears as soon as I see it, but it’s like a knife being drove into my heart at the speed of light. Dad looks away nervously and opens the front door. 

“I’ll call Tony, you say goodbye to your mum Bella” Dad closes to door slightly as he steps outside. I hear mum sniffle and I turn towards her, she has wet cheeks and her make-up is streaked around her eyes. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her cry. She steps towards me slowly and pulls me into her, cradling my head against her chest. 

“I’m sorry Bella, I’m sorry. It wasn’t meant to turn out this way” She starts to say, but I don’t listen. Because it has turned out this way, she told dad to leave. I hear the front door open again and I pull away from mum, wiping the tears away from my eyes. I pick my bag up from the stairs and follow dad out of the front door. My head spins with thoughts and my legs feel week. Dad opens the boot of the car and we throw our bags inside. I look at the house I’ve called home for the past sixteen years and say one final goodbye in my head before slipping into the front passenger seat. 

“I called Tony and he said we could stay as long as we like. Don’t worry you’ll have your own room, his sons the same age as you, I think you’ll get along” Dad says as we pull away from the drive. I nod, but my insides start to build with nerves. I’ve never met Tony before, although I’ve heard dad talk about him many times before. The drive from the house to Tony’s doesn’t take long, half an hour at the most. It’s a medium sized house in the middle of Trenthill estate; I’ve heard stories about it, about how it’s the rougher part of the area. It doesn’t look like what I’ve been told, it looks a little run down but nothing a fresh coat of paint couldn’t help. 

“Come on you; let’s introduce you to our new family for the next few months” Dad smiles and gets out of the car. I slowly open my own door and get out, looking around. I swallow the lump in my throat and follow dad up the path to my new life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so just to let you know, freddie is not going to be exactly like freddie from the take, because he is younger and not as difficult as freddie is in the take until probably the sequel (bc yes hopefully there will be one) there are also original characters such as freddie's sister, katie and the family bella is staying with. hope you enjoy anyway!

Dad wraps his knuckles on the door six times in a rhythm; it only takes a few seconds before the door is swung open. The man behind it is half cast, dressed in jeans and a white vest too, a large gold chain hanging around his neck. His face stretches into a large smile when he sees’s dad and pulls him into one of those man hugs and he greets him happily. I stand on the step awkwardly, not knowing what do. 

"Tony, thanks for this, means a lot to me. Bella, meet Tony" Tony extends his hand and I shake it politely with a smile. 

"Nice to meet you Bella, at least Duke will finally have a friend" he laughs to himself, as if it's an inside joke. Dad steps aside to let me in the house and I follow Tony through the hallway. 

"Hey Duke, get down here, Steve and Bella are here" he shouts as we pass the stairs. He leads us into the sitting room and I sit gingerly on the arm of the armchair my dad sits in. A tall, half cast boy who I assume is Duke comes into the room as he pulls his shirt over his head. 

"Duke, this is Bella, Steve's daughter, so no funny ideas" Tony says, giving Duke a funny look. He flips him off before smiling at me and extending his hand the way his father did. 

"Nice to meet you Bella" I smile and say the same. Dad and Tony talk about mum for a while before the conversation turns to me. 

"So Bella, your dad was telling me the other day that you can't decide what sixth form to go to" Tony says, stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table. I nod my head in reply, I had one in mind, but I still didn't like it all that much. 

"What kind of course do you want to do?" Duke asks the first thing he's said since greeting me earlier on. 

"Sports I think, depending on how the course is" I say, pushing my hands into the sleeves of my jumper. 

"Bella's into boxing" Dad interjects with a smile on his face. Ever since I was seven and I told him I wanted to box, he'd done everything he could to get me into it. He's always telling everyone about it, he just really loves the fact that I do something productive. 

"Oh really? They do a sports course at the sixth form at Trenthill don’t they Duke? And it involves boxing I think" Tony says getting up from his chair and going up to a cabinet at the other side of the room. He sifts through a draw for a minute or two before coming back with a booklet and handing it too me. It was a booklet containing all the information about the courses at Trenthill School and sixth form. 

"Read over it and see what you think, there's only a few weeks left to apply, but I'm pretty sure they'd let you in" Tony smiles and dad reads with me over my shoulder. I thank Tony for the book and place it on my lap to read later. 

"Hey Duke why don't you show Bella to her room?" Tony says and Duke gets up almost immediately, beckoning me to follow. I pick me bag up from by the front door on the way and sling it over my shoulder. The nerves from earlier aren't as strong, but I can still feel them inside my stomach, knotted and uncomfortable. Duke opens the door that is directly opposite the stairs and takes my bag from me and puts it on the already made bed. 

"It's not much, but Steve said it won't be long until he finds you a place" Duke says and I give him a small smile. Some more of my nerves tumble away and I sit down on the bed, looking around the room.

"Is it alright if I give you some advice Bella?" Duke asks leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Sure" 

"If you're ever about and come across someone by the name of Freddie Jackson, stay away from them ok?" I look at him confused, why? But his face is so serious and I can't help but not at him. 

"Good, and if you ever need help just say yeah? I'll look after you" he backs out of the doorway and I watch him slip into his own room and shut the door. 

"Thanks" I say in reply, although I know he can't hear me. 

+

“Are you nervous?” Duke asks me as we walk towards the school. I shrug.

“A little, like you said, I won’t know anyone. But I suppose I’ll meet people” I say shoving my hands into my pockets. The air makes my hair fly into my face and I push it behind my ears. I hear Duke mutter something under his breath as a sleek black car comes down the road towards us. It comes to a slow stop beside us and the window rolls down, as soon as Duke see’s who’s in the driver’s seat his face contorts with relief. 

“Duke, didn’t scare you did I?” The blonde haired guy laughs along with him. I see Duke's shoulders relax and I guess that it must be someone he knows and that he thought it was someone else. They talk for a few minutes before the blonde haired guy's face turns serious. 

"Got some bad news for you Duke" he says rubbing his eyes with his thumb.

"One Two is out of his stretch early" he says after Duke doesn't say anything. He still doesn't say anything; instead he nods and taps the car door two times. The window rolls its way back up and the car slowly pulls away from the curb. 

“Hey Bella, you know I said if you ever came across someone called Freddie Jackson that you should stay away from him?” I nod at Duke, not quite sure where he’s going with what he’s saying. 

“If you ever come across someone called One Two, stay away from him too” Duke says, giving me the same serious look the first day I met him. 

“What’s their deal?” I ask, curious as to why Duke is so anxious about keeping me away from the two guys. He lifts his hand to rub it across his face and then looks at me with an almost pained expression. 

“They’re dangerous, ok? They’re trouble and not good to get involved with, so stay away from them ok?” I nod, but feel a little patronised too, I can look after myself can’t I? We continue to walk towards the school and when we get to the gates he tells me to meet him somewhere at lunch. I watch him walk away towards a group of guys in the corner of the school. I’ve known him around two months, and I’ve yet to figure him out. There are some days when he won’t come out of his room at all and all you can hear is the sound of music thumping away. Then other days, he won’t come home until really late, I’ll hear the door unlock and the sound of Tony shouting all kind of things at him. He doesn’t talk much, but he gives me all sorts of knowing looks and I never know what to make of him. 

I look up at the school and think about how many people I won’t know and swallow the lump in my throat before stepping towards the school. I locate my form room without many problems. When I open the door it’s pretty much empty. There are a few people sitting together, gathered around a phone with headphones in. They don’t look up as I breeze past them and sit at the back of the room. A few minutes after I’ve entered, the room starts to fill up. It’s almost full when a teacher walks in, a curly haired girl in tow. He talks to her for a few minutes before turning and pointing at me. The curly haired girl nods at him before striding over to me. As she approaches, her face stretches into a wide smile and her beauty is almost overwhelming. She takes the seat next to me and extends her hand. 

“Hey, I’m Katie, Katie Jackson. I’ve been told that you’re Bella Gallagher and I’m to show you around Trenthill” She beams and I shake her hand, drawn to her polite manor. 

"Nice to meet you Katie" I say as I shake her hand. As the day wears on, Katie tells me everything I need to know. She tells me the best places to eat and who not to get involved with and everything I should avoid. After spending the day with Katie, I feel like we've been friends since we were little. She's so happy and carefree, she's a breath of fresh air and I'm glad that she was the one showing me around. 

At the end of the day, when Katie and I are about to go our separate ways, I remember something I wanted to ask her.

"Hey Katie, is there a gym around here?" I ask, hoping to get a different answer than I'd been getting all week. I'd asked Duke where it was and he'd simply said with that serious look on his face:

"There isn't one" I found this odd, why wouldn't there be a gym? I thought about it for a while before asking Tony, who replied with exactly the same. There isn't one. In a last attempt I asked my dad, but he also said exactly the same. After repeatedly asking where the gym was and getting the same answer I gave up. 

"Of course there is, my brother practically lives there. Sometimes I think he does, he and his mates never leave." So there is a gym, meaning dad, Tony and Duke were lying. 

"Do you think you could show me where it is?" 

"Course! I have to go talk to my brother anyway" As Katie shows me the way, it becomes clear to me that it isn't far from Tony's, and that the excuse I was thinking for them was that it was far away and they didn't know where it was, clearly isn't right. 

The gym is located down a small street that has a few other shops dotted along it and the sign that sticks out of the wall reads 'Pure Gym'. Out of her pocket, Katie pulls a piece of plastic and she swipes it over a sensor attached to the wall. It beeps and flashes green and she pushes the door open to let me inside. 

"The owner likes the gym to be a small, quaint one, so to get in you need a pass. If you want to join, I'll make sure Freddie gives you one" Katie closes the door and slips the pass back into the pocket of her jeans. The gym like Katie said is small and only a few people are around, the treadmills are along a wall down the left side and they back onto other fitness equipment. There's a small area with weights and mats and then in the centre, making my eyes widen in delight is a boxing ring. To the side of it is plenty of equipment, like speedballs, punching bags and hook and jab pads. Katie looks around the room, her eyes squinting in confusion. 

"Well that makes a change, looks like Freddie finally decided to go home-" She doesn't get to finish her sentence before we hear voices. 

"Spoke too soon" she says upon spotting two guys coming from what must be the basement of the gym. The older guy with dark skin clasps the younger guy - who I presume is Katie's brother - on the shoulder before leaving. 

"And there was me, thinking Freddie had decided to come home" Katie says, though her voice is cheerful I sense the sarcasm in her tone. Freddie smiles and I almost feel my heart jump, it's cheeky and cute and I can't help but smile back when he catches my eyes. 

"Not until your old man goes" He says, shaking his head as he sits down at the desk by the stairs he just came up. 

“He’s your dad too, he loves you just as much as he loves me” Katie says, stepping closer to the desk and leaning on it. 

“Not now, ok? Anyway, what’re you doing here? You normally come on Wednesdays” He says as he picks up a pen and starts to play with it. 

“Bella’s not long moved here and I have the job of showing her around town, she wanted to know where the gym was” Katie smiles and I notice how similar their smiles are. Freddie stands up and leans over the desk, extending his hand towards me. I shake it politely, his hand is warm and firm and as he pulls his hand away his fingertips grace my palm sending shivers down my spine. 

“Nice to meet you Bella, I’m Freddie, Freddie Jackson” I freeze for a second, Duke’s warnings in my head ring loud and clear but I can’t do anything so I smile and say:

“You too Freddie” He smiles again and I can’t help but smile back, just like Katie’s, his smile is infectious. 

“So, you want to join up?” He asks. I swallow the moisture in my throat and nod. Freddie talks me through the pass process and puts my name on one and passes it to me. I decide not to tell Duke that I’ve met Freddie, or that I found the gym. Once I’m all signed up, Katie takes me for a walk around to show me some of the places she’s told me about. When I get to Tony’s, it’s just about to drop dark. Duke isn’t home and it fills me with relief, his inquisitive looks would probably make me crack and tell him about Freddie, and it’s not a subject I want to bring up with him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope you'll enjoy this, because i enjoy writing it so much! if you'd like a trailer to this, head off to my tumblr www.t-hardyy.tumblr.com and send me a message and i'll drop you a link! :D

After a few days of settling into school, I slip into my gym clothes. I haven't mentioned it to anyone, especially not Duke. I realised after meeting Freddie that the reason he said there wasn't a gym was because he must have known that I'd meet Freddie. I check all of the rooms to make sure Duke isn't at home before zipping up my hoody and grabbing my bag. 

It only takes me a few minutes to walk to the gym, but my stomach clenches with nerves. There must be a reason why Duke told me to stay away from Freddie, though I can't think of one. He's related to Katie, the sweetest girl on the planet. I try to push them away, Duke doesn't have to know. 

I pull the pass from my pocket, and I notice that on the one side where the staff signature is meant to be Freddie has signed his name with a smiley face next to it. I smile as I swipe it across the sensor and the door unlocks. I push it open and I breathe in deeply, it had taken me a little while to build up the courage to come to the gym. I wasn’t sure whether Duke would find out, and whether I did have to worry about Freddie. Duke wouldn’t have warned me for nothing, would he? But my heart told me to give Freddie the benefit of the doubt, and I really needed to work out anyway. When I step inside the gym, there’s a couple more people than when Katie first brought me in here and I feel a little self conscious about taking my jumper off as my sports top doesn’t even reach my navel. 

The dark skinned guy who came up the stairs with Freddie the other day is sitting at the desk reading the paper. He looks up and acknowledges me before going back to reading; I shuck off my jumper and slip my earphones into my ears to block everyone out. I pull my hand wraps from my bag and start to wind them around my knuckles. As I do, I run my finger over the protruding scar on my knuckle. I was in a fight with a girl a few weeks ago, she started it so I didn’t get into trouble, but she ended up with a nasty injured face and I ended up with a broken knuckle. The music in my ears gets more energetic and it motives me to jump to my feet and start knocking a rhythm out on the speedball. 

After spending a good twenty minutes on the speed ball I stop and pull my earphone from my ears. I take a small sip of water, my old trainer Adam always told me it was better than necking lots of water after being active as it properly rehydrates your body without just going straight through you. I move onto the punching bag, practising my right hooks and my jabs, perfecting them until they’re lighting quick and firm. 

“You’ve got quite a right hook” A voice says and it makes me jump. I turn to see Freddie standing next to me, the jab and hook pads tucked underneath his arm. His warm, cheeky smile forces me to smile back. 

“Thank you Freddie” I say, feeling my cheeks turn red at his compliment. Many people have complimented me on my boxing and martial arts, but none of them have been as good looking or charming as Freddie. He pulls the pads from under his arms and looks at me with a glint in his eyes. 

“Do you want to do some drills? I’d like to see what you’ve got” 

“Ok, sure” I nod, unable to say no. I silence Duke’s voice inside of my head about staying away from him; it’s just the gym, right? We step into the ring and Freddie pads up; I jump from foot to foot, like I always do with drills and start to deliver my jabs. At first Freddie is taken back by the force of my blows, but then becomes accustomed to it, making me swap hands and move quickly. After a short while, Freddie signals me to stop and I take a moment to watch a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. I look away, hoping he didn’t notice. 

“How long have you been boxing?” He asks, stepping out of the ring and reaching for his drink. I notice him take a small sip, and I know he’s must have been taught by a good trainer too. 

“Since I was about seven? I started mixed martial arts about two years ago, although my dad doesn’t know” I say sitting next to him on the bench. 

“Your dad doesn’t approve?” 

“He approves of the boxing; he was the one who got me into it, just not being in the cage. He likes boxing because it’s more controlled, there are certain rules. Whereas cage fighting only has a few and you can get seriously hurt. But I really wanted to do it, so I did. What about you?” I ask curiously. 

“I started when I was fifteen because I was getting bullied at school. As soon as I learnt how to defend myself, it all stopped. But I really enjoyed it, so I started taking part in competitions and I became pretty good at it” Freddie explains. 

“Fancy sparring?” He asks, giving me a crooked smile. I laugh as I nod and jump up from the bench. Freddie goes to pick up the protective gear and I catch his arm to stop him.

“Protective pads?” I say with my eyebrow raised. He laughs and shakes his head. 

“Not for me, for you” He winks and passes them to me, I laugh as I throw them back to the ground. I watch his eyes follow the pads and then travel back up to my face.

“I’m not sure it’s me who’ll need the pads” I say with a wink. He laughs and shakes his head ad climbs in after me. I jump from foot to foot, preparing myself mentally for what we were going to do. Freddie is a well built guy and I know any hit from him could send me into next week, I know that I’m quick and agile enough to dodge his large hands. I put up my guard and he follows. I can see he’s hesitant, though he’s the first one to make a throw. I block it quickly and he tries again, I block that throw also. I settle myself and throw a right hook, it’s quick and powerful and I manage to get past his guard, it clips his jaw and I know it’s not good enough. Freddie manages to get past my guard and his knuckles collide with my jaw. It’s not as hard as I expected and I know it’s because he doesn’t want to hurt me. 

“Not thinking of going easy on me, are you Freddie?” I say cheekily. 

“Course not” He winks. We take another few shots at each other before we stop. Freddie looks at me with an inquisitive look before opening his mouth to speak. 

“What moves can you show me? Something you do in the cage?” He asks and I think, it has to be something I can pull off easily, but doesn’t look easy. I decide on the arm lock my trainer Adam taught me. 

“Ok, but on one condition. Once you’ve learnt it, we spar until one of us puts the other in the lock I teach” I watch as Freddie thinks for a minute. He nods his head and stretches his arms up behind his back and I see the muscles in his arms ripple. 

“Sounds like a deal” I start by showing Freddie the arm lock in full by making him grapple me, I send him onto his knee’s with one kick to the back of his legs, swiftly followed by an assortment of movements on my part to wrap my legs around his torso and put the arm into the position. Once I’ve demonstrated the move I make Freddie practice it a few times before we start sparring again. He’s a quick learner, so it doesn’t take him long to pick it up. 

“One final piece of information, when you get someone in the lock make sure your hips are turned in towards your opponents and they are pushed into the floor, it makes the lock rock solid” he nods in acknowledgement and this time we put the mouth guards in. The spar slash fight is equally sided for a good few minutes, but Freddie does start to dominate after five minutes. I have to rethink my strategy, he’s clever and he’s able to work out where I’m going to try and catch him out with jabs and kicks. I start to think he’s going to win but I stop my thoughts, my dad always taught me that ‘when in doubt, knock em’ out’ so I push myself to keep going, making my jabs quick and I start rearranging my sequences to throw him off. I see it working, as Freddie can’t return the pace I pick up. That’s when I know it’s time to strike. I send a extra hard right hook to his face and it knocks him off balance, he crashes to the floor and fall onto him, wrapping my legs around his torso and pulling his arms into the lock. I hear him grunt, trying to take the pressure that I’m putting on him. 

"Jesus Christ Bella, you've got a lot of strength for someone so little" he manages to say through gritted teeth. 

"S'not like I haven't heard it before" I laugh and put more pressure to his arms. He's about to crack and I know it, I can see it in the way his eyes scrunch even further and the veins in his neck move with every strangled breath. He slaps his hand down on the floor three times, signalling a tap out. Grinning in victory, I leap away from him. Freddie flails his arms out and stays on the floor, breathing deeply. I have to pull my eyes away from his rising and falling chest, his toned chest is visible through his thin shirt that has risen up during our fight, I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. 

A loud clapping sound pulls me out of my trance as I lean down to offer Freddie my hand. I swivel around, seeing a man just a bit older than Freddie standing by the side of the ring with a smug smile on his face as he applauds. 

"Well you certainly pack quite the punch, don't you young lady?" he has a thick Scottish accent; I swallow, wondering where all of these attractive men are coming from and why I have to see them in my sports gear. When Freddie is on his feet, my arms wrap around my stomach in a feeble attempt to cover it. 

"How long have you been fighting?" He asks walking over to the ring and leaning on the ropes. 

"About ten years" I say, following Freddie out of the ring. 

"I'm One Two" I freeze, my gut twists as I remember my first day at school and how Duke's friend warned him about a man called One Two and how Duke had told me to stay away from him. 

"Bella" I reply, trying to swallow the feeling of guilt. I knew it was risky, coming to the gym in the first place. But upon meeting Freddie, my threat radar hadn't exactly been ringing off the hooks, so I thought it would be ok. Apparently not. As I'm zipping up my jacket, the door to the gym beeps and my heart thuds in my chest, but settles as soon as I see those familiar curls bouncing towards me. 

"Ah Katie, to what do we owe this pleasure?" One Two says, a smile on his handsome face. 

"Well, I was here to see Bella, but it looks like I get the pleasure of seeing you too" Katie smiles as she gives One Two a small hug. She then turns to me, the smile still on her face and says 

"I was thinking we could have a girl’s night, go see a movie or something and get a bite to eat, and then you could crash at my place?" I feel my insides warm; it's been a while since I've had someone interested in me enough to invite me to hang out with them. A lot of my "friends" from back home didn't like the whole fighting thing, and I had a lot of guy friends, but I was never invited to hang out with them. 

"Yeah, that sounds great" I smile. 

"Is there a bathroom or changing room I could change in? My dad doesn't exactly know I've been to the gym and he'll be home by now" 

"Sure, it's straight through there" One Two says pointing towards the stairs by the desk. 

"Come with me, I'll introduce you to the guys on the way" He says, beckoning us to follow him. 

"Is Arthur in?" Katie asks as we follow One Two. 

"Of course" he says. The guilt rises in my stomach as we descend down the stairs, Duke's voice getting louder in my head. The basement is larger than I expected, complete with chairs, tables, television and pool table. The dark skinned man I saw with Freddie a few days previously is reading the paper sitting in one of the chairs and in the other corner of the room fiddling with the TV is a younger guy, a German Shepherd lying by his side. 

"Look lively boys, I have someone I'd like you to meet" They look up and then quickly look at me, my hands dig deep into my pockets, feeling like I'm about to be sick. 

"Bella, this is Mumbles" One Two says, pointing to the man who was reading the newspaper. He then points to the younger one who was at the TV. 

"And this is Arthur, and that down there is his trusty companion Diego" The two look at me like I'm a cub in a lion’s den, which is how I feel. 

"She just kicked Fredster's ass in the ring" One Two says, clasping Freddie's shoulder with that same smirk as before. Freddie groans in embarrassment, I watch as Katie strokes Diego and the way she smiles at Arthur when he looks at her fondly. 

"Welcome to Pure Gym, Bella" 

+

"I have never seen One Two look at someone like that, or introduce them to the guys" Katie says as she bites into her pizza. We're sitting on her bedroom floor with another film playing as we tuck into our take-out pizza. Apparently, One Two introducing me to Mumbles and Arthur is a big deal. After freaking out a little bit about what Duke would do if he found out, I didn't think much of it, but it’s all Katie's been talking about for the past ten minutes. 

"But Bella, on a serious note, the world they live in is a completely different one to the real one" She says, placing the crust on her box. 

"People around here call them The Wild Bunch, and they are, but I'm not telling you that's its bad to be with them, it's probably better if I'm honest. But it can get messy" she says with a sigh. I don't quite get what she means, but I nod anyway. 

"Anyway, I can see that Freddie likes you already" Katie adds, wiggling her eyebrows. I blush. 

"No he doesn't"

"He does! He's my brother, I can tell these things!" She picks up another slice of pizza and holds it in the air like she's making a toast. 

"I haven't ever really had any friends" she says 

"So, to friends" we toast with pizza to our friendship and I momentarily forget about what Duke would do if he found out about Freddie and the others.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, i hope you enjoy! feel free to comment and crit!

The blinding pain that rockets through my head makes me curse. I sit back up on my knees, coming to the conclusion that my gym pass isn't under the bed. Apart from finding fluff and nails under the bed and almost giving myself concussion, my mission to find my gym pass has been unsuccessful. 

Even though I'm a girl, I'm quite organised and my room is never a mess, so losing things is never a problem to me. And even though a normal person would just ask for a new pass, it isn't that simple. For instance, I could get the new pass and forget about my forgotten old one, then when it miraculously turns up like all lost stuff does, Duke could find it. And that isn't something I want to happen. My phone beeps with a text from Katie telling me she's outside. I scan my room one more time before grabbing my bag and heading down the stairs and out the door. 

"Morning" Katie says with a cheery smile. She then adds: 

"You look a little flustered, are you ok?" 

"No" I admit with a sigh.

"I can't find my gym pass. I used it the other day and then put it where I always put it, then I went to grab it today and it was gone" 

"You can use mine today, I was thinking of having a session after school anyway, summers over and it's time to get back to routine. Freddie will give you a new pass" After Katie's reassuring words and our usual stupid chit chat, I forget about my lost pass. 

Despite having been at Trenthill for more than a month, the only friends I've made are Katie and her friend Dixon. It's come to my attention that not many of the girls like me. I don't have a clue why, Katie thinks it’s something to do with the fact that I'm good at sports, and that when a guy talks about sport, I understand and they don't. But even though I'm hated by three-quarters of the school, I'm perfectly happy with the two friends I have. 

"He seriously freaks me out" I say to Dixon as we walk from our sports theory class. 

"Because he fancies the hell out of you" Dixon laughs, giving me one of his signature winks. 

I groan. 

"Stop, don't ever say that again, he's like twice my age!" Dixon giggles at my horror.

“What is he torturing you about now?” Katie laughs, joining us as we walk towards the canteen. 

“Mr Wilson fancies Bella, she sits at the front so all he does is stare at her chest” Dixon manages to get out before I start hitting him. 

“Ok, ow, ok Bella I’m sorry, please stop” I give into his please and send him my best smile. We grab some food and find the smallest table nearest the door. The three of us don’t like sitting at a big table, and it’s mainly because we talk about such stupid things we don’t want people to overhear but also because we like the space, we like it being just us three. I bite into my sandwich and scan the room. When I spot Duke, the uneasiness I felt this morning about my missing pass returns. He couldn’t find it, could he? I know I definitely left it in my room, so he can’t find it. Along with my food I swallow my nerves and turn my attention back to the conversation between Katie and Dixon. I fall back into the conversation. 

“I was thinking after the gym tonight we could grab some food? Y’know, seeing as your dad doesn’t know that you’re actually going to gym. In fact, why doesn’t he know?” Katie asks, it’s the question I’ve been dreading. I don’t want to tell Katie it’s because of her brother, but I can’t lie to her either. 

“I’m not sure, but when I asked where the gym was he said there wasn’t one, so I asked you to make sure. I figured he just didn’t want me going to the gym” So it’s sort of the truth, dad obviously doesn’t want me going to the gym. 

“Well, like you said, he shouldn’t find out if we keep going for food. No one’s going to tell him, right?” She smiles and I sigh in relief, he’s definitely not going to find out.   
“So where are we going after the gym?” I ask, sipping my drink. 

“My grandma and grandpa have a little cafe not far from the gym, it’s not much but grandma does the best pancakes” Katie says with a beaming smile, I smile with her, but feel a pang of jealousy hit me in the stomach. My grandparents didn’t want anything to do with me. My grandparents on my dad’s side both died before I was born, and my mom’s mother and father point blank said they didn’t want to see me. It hurt a lot when I was little, seeing my friend’s having Christmas and birthdays with their whole families, and I didn’t. But I got used to it, eventually. 

“That sounds brilliant” The bell rings as I’m talking, and the people around us start to filter out of the canteen and we are forced to do the same. 

“You have a free period last thing don’t you?” 

“Yep, I’ll wait for you in the library then we can head to the gym?” 

“Just what I was thinking, see you later Bella!” I wave as Katie and Dixon go towards English and I head towards the Library to wait out two hours of nothing before Katie is finished. When I’m alone, my brain goes into overdrive and it thinks without my permission. I haven’t had much time to think lately though, I’ve had so much school work and I’ve been spending a lot of time with Katie, I haven’t had the chance. But now I do, and quite frankly my brain won’t shut up about a certain Freddie Jackson. And it’s stupid because I’m not meant to even know him, and yet, all I can think about is the way his just crooked teeth flash white when he smiles and the way the muscles in forearms ripple when he clenches his fists and the sparkle in his eyes. I let out a frustrated sigh and pull out a book about mixed martial arts and sit at a table. I flick through the pages, not reading it properly because I’ve learnt most of it already. 

My mind drifts again, and this time I think of my mom. I wonder if she misses me, because although we’ve shared a few phone calls since dad and I left, I haven’t seen her. I miss her a little bit, I miss hearing her sing in the morning and I miss her cooking. But I don’t regret leaving with my dad, because he’s always been the peace keeper at home when mom and I fall out. I let the first hour pass slowly, flicking through the book in front of me, working on some of my sports theory work and also trying to balance a pencil on my nose. 

I've had this particular pencil on my nose for the past ten minutes, a new record. 

"BELLA, BELLA WHERE ARE YOU?" I jump from my seat, the pencil flying across the table. I spin around to see Katie running up the stairs with her brown curls flying around her shoulders.

"Bella, we have to get to the gym now! Arthur said there's a discrepancy and we need to get there fast!" before she's even finished her sentence I've pulled my bag from the ground and I'm charging towards Katie, my heart beating at a million miles per hour. The two of us run from the library, ignoring the shouts of the worried librarian. Thoughts infest my mind, are Arthur and Freddie ok? What's happening? The sound of my feet drumming into the pavement is loud but doesn't drown out the sound of my mind. As we approach the gym, Katie scrambles to free her gym pass from her bag. 

The pass doesn't let us in the first time, because in her haste Katie swipes it the wrong way around. Once it beeps, we burst through the door like we're cops raiding a house. What I see, is my worst nightmare. 

"Duke?" I say my voice unsteady. He turns, and the look in his eyes shows a possessiveness I've only seen in films. But the look from Duke does nothing to prepare me for the look in Freddie's eyes. They are wide with anger, boring into Duke as he paces around, like the anger is rippling through his body like an earthquake. 

"Oh look who decided to show up. What did I tell you? What did I fucking tell you? Stay away, and what did you do? The complete opposite, you stupid bitch!" 

"Don't you talk to her like that" Freddie snarls, Arthur tightens his grip around Freddie, and it's only then that I notice there’s a guy also gripping onto Duke. 

"Or what? You'll hit me? You'll fight me? You think you're so brilliant, showing off for Bella?" 

"What are you talking about Duke?" I say, moving myself do I'm in between them. 

"What did I tell you? Stay away from Freddie Jackson" he says, he pushes the guys arms from him and reaches into his pocket, pulling out what looks like my gym pass. 

"And what do you do? Go and sign up at his fucking gym! Do you think you could keep it a secret?" I go to reach for the pass, but he pulls it away. 

"Give it back Duke" I grit out, anger rising. 

"You can't just tell me what I can and can't do, you don't own me. And if you'd have just told me that I can't use this gym because you didn't like the people here, I'd have just gone somewhere else. But you had to lie to me, saying there wasn't one" I go to reach for the pass once again, he moves it away again. 

"Your dad would kill you if he found out you were coming here" 

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him" again, he dodges my attempts to regain my pass. The anger suddenly takes control of my hands, and they reach out and grab his, twisting his arms around his back as I push him into his knees. He cries out in pain and I make sure I have a tight grip on him. 

"Listen to me Duke" I say, my lips close to his ear. 

"I'm a big girl, and I can look after myself. So stop trying to look after me, because I can play the same game as you big boys." I look up at Freddie and smile before looking back at Duke whose face is contorted with pain. 

"I kicked his ass a few days ago, so I'm not scared of him. And if you tell my dad about this, I'll get you done for theft and harassment" I rip my pass from his hands and he winces. 

"Got it?" I tighten my grip and he nods, clenching his eyes shut. I release him and he falls to the floor. But he isn't free for long, Freddie grabs onto his collar and drags him towards the door. 

"Get out, you're not welcome here" he makes sure Duke falls onto the floor outside. He slams the door shut, yet his face is red and angry.

“Welcome to the Wild Bunch Bella.” I turn on my heels upon hearing the Scottish accent. 

“You handled that very well, don’t think I’ve ever seen Duke King so scared in my life” One Two is smiling, Mumbles is behind him with a glint to his eyes. I swallow the lump in my throat, what does he mean ‘welcome to the wild bunch’? Is this what Katie was talking about the other night? Was One Two watching the whole thing? One Two takes a step closer to me, then another until he’s so close I can smell his aftershave and I can see the 5 o’clock shadow gracing his chin. He leans down so his lips are close to my ear and moves the hair out of the way. 

“I’m sure you’ll fit right in” He clasps my shoulder with his large hand and then lets his fingers trail down my arm. His touch gives me goose bumps and the silence of the room makes me feel uncomfortable. One Two signals to Mumbles and they leave the gym, the silence continues and an awkward feeling creeps up my skin. It’s Katie who’s the bravest and speaks first. 

“Are you ok Freddie?” She asks, watching him wipe some blood from his nose. Guilt suddenly rises in my stomach; this is my fault. 

“I’m so sorry” I blurt, my voice sounding foreign in the quiet room. Freddie looks at me, his eyes softening as they meet mine. 

“It’s alright. You weren’t to know about Duke, he’s a strange guy, never could figure him out” Freddie says as he wipes his face with his shirt. 

“I should have known he had my pass. I just didn’t know he’d been watching me like that. It’s a little creepy” 

“Yeah well, that’s Duke for you. What are you gonna do if he does tell your dad?” I frown, I know my threat about calling the police about theft and harassment was not a real threat, I didn’t have a case. So Duke might actually tell dad. 

“I’m not sure; my dad hardly ever has a go at me over anything I guess I’ll just have to see what happens. But he can’t tell me what I can and can’t do anymore” I say, my voice sure and determined. Freddie nods, his full pink lips curling up into a cheeky smile. 

“Right, you two” Katie says pointing towards Freddie and Arthur. 

“Get changed, we’re going to grandma and grandpas” as the words tumble from her lips, the smile on Freddie’s face widens and it makes my insides tingle. Never in my life have I seen a smile so full of love and warmth. Freddie and Arthur disappear into the basement and as soon as they’re out of earshot, Katie jumps at me like there are springs attached to her shoes. 

“One Two totally likes you! He was literally undressing you with his eyes the whole entire time he was standing there!” I shuffle uncomfortably on the spot, he was? 

“No he doesn’t, he looks a bit older than me, he wouldn’t like someone as young as me right? I’m just in college” I say, trying to get the image of Freddie’s smile out of my head. 

“One Two doesn’t care how old you are, One Two wants whoever the hell One Two wants. And in these parts, it’s a big deal” She says. I don’t have chance to reply though, as Freddie and Arthur come back up the stairs. My breath catches in my throat when I see Freddie. He’s wearing a black polo shirt that is buttoned up to the neck with gold chain. The arms of his polo fit tightly around his arms, showing off his muscles and the tattoo’s that are spread across them. His dark jeans hug his toned legs and I have to draw my eyes away before he notices I’m staring. The four of us walk away from the gym, I have no clue where Katie and Freddie’s grandparent’s cafe if, so I follow them and listen to them talking and laughing. It’s clear from just looking at them, that Katie and Freddie are close. They talk easily about their days. But what I listen to the most, it’s loud and so carefree that it could clear the cobwebs from your bones if you’d been sleeping for a million years. I watch the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he does so. It makes me smile more than it should. 

When we get to the cafe, there are a few people inside and the smell coming through the doors is heavenly. Freddie pushes the door open and immediately an older man with white hair looks up from what he’s doing and grins. 

“Freddie, my favourite grandson and who’s that, Katie! My beautiful granddaughter” I smile as Katie and Freddie converse with their grandpa. Arthur and I slip into the booth nearest the wall. Freddie and Katie join us moments later. Freddie sits opposite me and Katie sits opposite Arthur. Their grandpa arrives at our table a minute later, holding a pad and pen. 

“Oh, hello there Arthur” he says, the then looks at me and gives me a warm, pleasant smile similar to Katie and Freddie’s. 

“And who might you be dear?” 

“I’m Bella” 

“It’s lovely to meet you Bella, I’m George, but you can call me grandpa. Now what can I get you kids? Is it the usual?” 

“It sure is” Katie says, smiling up at her grandpa. Arthur turns to me with a grin on his face. 

“You don’t come to grandpa’s and have anything other than pancakes and tea. If you do, these two will practically murder you” I hear Freddie chuckle as he plays with a napkin from the dispenser on the table. I’m sitting in the seat that faces the window, so as Arthur and Katie flirt terribly I watch the people outside of the cafe pass the window. I wonder what their lives are like, if they’re anything like mine or if they’re completely different. 

My heart almost jumps out of my chest when I see the familiar face in the window. Tony looks like he’s ready to explode as he answers his phone impatiently. I duck my head but make sure I can still see Tony through the window; he reaches for the door handle and holds his hand there. 

“Holy shit” I hiss, throwing myself under the table, like it will help at all. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Freddie says and I shush him quickly, hoping my short explanation will make him shut up. 

“Tony” Freddie’s hand slips under the table and holds it out towards me, I grip it and his large smooth fingers trace circles around my thumb in a calming motion. There are table clothes on the tables, and I hope that they’re long enough to cover me. I’m sitting as far against the wall as I can, if I push up against it any harder I’ll probably sink into it. 

“Well look what the cat dragged in” I hear George say, his voice is laced with disgust and annoyance. 

“Now now George, no need to be so hostile is there?” I hear Tony’s booming voice and I grip onto Freddie’s hand a little tighter. Images of Tony as he drags me back to my dad if he saw my flutter through my mind and makes my body shake. 

“Then what’s your business in here, you know you’re not welcome” This time, its Freddie talking and I can hear the defensive tone in his words. 

“I know that, but who am I to deny that you do the best coffee around. That’s all I want” I hear the coffee machine start up and my heart beat starts to settle. From under the table I can see Tony’s legs; I watch them as they pace around the floor. When he settles, his foot starts to tap, like Duke’s does when he’s agitated. I hear change rattle and then he starts to walk away from the counter. Before I can breathe a sigh of relief, he stops and turns back. 

“Oh and Freddie, tell One Two I said hey” Then he leaves, but I don’t move. My bum is planted firmly to the floor and my back stuck to the wall. My hands are still shaking and it’s only when Freddie lets go of my hand that I remember where I am. I slip back into my chair and take a deep breath out. 

“Now what business do you have with a man like that young lady?” George asks, coming over to our table with our pancakes and tea. It takes me a second to answer. 

“My mom and dad recently split and I wanted to go with my dad, we’re staying with Tony until dad can find a place” George gives me a sad, knowing look. 

“And your dad is Steve, am I correct” My heart stops, how does he know my dad? 

“Yes, how did you know?”

“You have your mother’s eyes. You’ve got a lot to learn about your family dear, I just hope you learn soon”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long to get up, but things are really starting to unravel now, hope you enjoy!

It’s dark when I get to Tony’s and my heart thumps in my chest as I unlock the door, I’m unsure whether after his visit to the cafe Tony came home or went somewhere else. I pray that it’s the latter. Hot stuffy air hits me as I open the door and I’m momentarily confused, but the house is in darkness so I presume that nobody has been in for some time. I flick on some lights and they illuminate the mess that has been left behind. There are beer cans strewn across the coffee table along with empty take-away cartons. I let out a long breath and try not to breathe in, the smell is that off stale food, beer and cigarettes and my nose crinkles as it hits my senses. 

The clock on the wall says it’s almost eleven, but I’m not tired enough to go to bed yet so I pick my way through to the kitchen to grab a black bin bag and start bagging up all of the rubbish that’s been left in the living room. My mind starts to wonder where everyone is, on my way back I’d been worried that when I got back, dad would be waiting up for me ready to give me that speech about being home late. But he’s not even here, and I don’t have a clue where he could be. Once all of the rubbish is in the bag I tie it up and chuck it out with the others. I swipe a cloth over the table and spray some air freshener around the room, and in no time at all the room doesn’t look like a pigsty anymore. 

I check the time again, but it’s still only quarter past eleven and there’s a restless energy buzzing its way around my limbs. Looking around, I decide to really look around this place. Since I’ve been here, I haven’t been in any other places other than my room, the living room, the kitchen and the bathroom. I know of four other rooms in the house, Duke’s room, Tony’s room, dad’s room and the basement. I know that Duke has a lock on his door, and there’d be nothing interesting in dads or Tony’s room, but the basement is different. I’ve heard Duke and Tony come in and out of it, but I’ve never heard them talk about it. I go into the kitchen and head towards the stairs that lead to the basement. As I look at the door, a thick lump forms in my throat, what am I going to find? My head tells me the usual stuff, old bikes and gardening tools that have never been used, bits of furniture and general house rubbish. But there’s something else, something deep inside of me telling me there’s something much different going on. 

My hand hovers over the handle, but I pull it back. The others could be back at any minute and the fear of being caught snooping makes me bolt back up the stairs into the kitchen. I pull a glass from the shelf and fill it with water before downing it in one go. I leave the glass on the drainer, turning to look at the basement door one more time before heading up stairs. There’s something weird and cold about being in the house on my own and I suddenly wish to be back in the company of Freddie and the others. I want to be back in the cafe or in the gym, but I’m alone in a strange house. I shuck off my clothes, throwing them in the washing basket with some force. I slip into bed and pull the covers tightly around me; the bed linen feels crisp and scratchy against my skin and doesn’t provide me with the comfort that I wish for. I close my eyes and long for sleep to overcome me as I try to push away the knotting feeling that’s in my stomach. 

+

The alarm goes off at exactly half past six and I slam my hand on it to shut it up. The bright light coming from the gap in my curtains hurts my eyes and I sit up cursing. I forgot to turn my alarm off last night, so now I’m up bright and early on a Saturday morning. I pull on my boxing shorts, they’re a tad too big for me and the material is lose on my skin but they’re comfortable and they cover my legs down to my knees. I can’t hear any movement in the house, so I must be the only one awake, unless nobody came home last night. Quietly padding down the stairs, I listen out for any signs of life as I make my way through the kitchen. Through the window I can see that the sky is a pale yellow colour and there are clouds streaked across the sky and they look like they’ve been painted on. 

I make myself a cup of tea and take it into the living room. The thought of calling Katie and asking her to hang out plays on my mind, but it’s only quarter to seven and I doubt she’ll be up and I don’t want to wake her. I idly watch morning television for a while, swapping my position on the sofa every five minutes for something to do, and letting my tea go cold just for an excuse to make another one. I also pour myself some cereal, though I end up throwing half of it away because I simply don’t want it. After an hour of sitting about and watching the clock tick slowly around I pull myself from the sofa and go for a shower. I spend a good amount of time in there, letting the water cascade over my skin. I wash my hair, even though I know I won’t be able to dry it properly for a while because the others aren’t awake. 

I step from the cubicle and wrap the large fluffy towel around my shoulders before drying myself with it. Once I’m dry I wrap it around me and head towards my bedroom. Duke exits his room as I do so, and he looks at me with cold eyes as he passes me. He has a slight bruise on his face from where Freddie must have hit him before Katie and I turned up. I only feel slightly guilty about Duke; he shouldn’t have been spying on me even though he was only trying to protect me. 

I flick through my wardrobe to find something to wear, and as I do so I hear more movement downstairs signalling that everyone is now up. It’s now half past ten and I know that Katie will be awake, and if she isn’t I don’t care about waking her up at this time. I pull on my jeans and my soul of a lion t-shirt before plugging my hair dryer into the wall. It takes a while to dry my hair, and Katie should be thankful that it gives her almost an extra hour before I call her. I dial her number as I run down the stairs, my stomach twists as I reach the bottom; will Tony know that I was at the cafe last night? He didn’t see me; at least I don’t think he did. Katie’s voice suddenly erupts into my ear, making me jump. 

“Hello?” She yawns and I laugh, only could still be tired at this time of the morning. 

“Hey Katie, its Bella” I say into the phone, deciding not to enter the living room just yet and instead I sit on the bottom of the stairs. 

“Oh hey you, was just about to call you, wanna hang out?” She asks, literally taking the words right out of my mouth. 

“That’s what I rang you for, what shall we do?” I ask, playing with a strand of my newly washed hair. I hear her hum for a second before answering. 

“One Two and Freddie are going to the shopping centre in a bit to get some stuff for the speeler, wanna come?” My heart jumps at the mention of Freddie’s name, my head knows that I shouldn’t see him again, not after what his grandpa George said, something about learning about my family. But I can’t stop the words tumbling from my mouth. 

“Ok sure, what time?” 

“We’ll pick you up in about half an hour, is that ok? Freddie says come to the end of the street in case Tony sees” we talk for a further few minutes about last night and what George could have meant before we hang up. Taking a breath, I step into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. As I enter, I see the tattoo that is scribed across Tony’s back, it’s a large snake, a cobra to be exact. I know because my dad has the same sort of thing on his upper arm. Either side of the hissing snake are his initials, it covers most of his back and for a tattoo it’s quite intimidating. I draw my eyes away and glide past him, pulling the mug from the cupboard. My heart thumps so loud in my chest I fear that he might hear it; I feel his eyes watching me as I pour water and milk into the mug. His eyes burn into my skin and the fire spreads through every fibre of my body. I know he knows something, the little smirk that pulls at the corner of his lips tell me so. Before he can say anything, dad comes into the room with an empty plate in his hands. 

“Morning Bella, you’re all ready, up early?” He asks, dumping the plate in the sink and kissing my cheek. I swallow a lump in my throat as Tony’s eyes still linger on me, as if he’s analysing my body language and what I’m about to say. 

“Yeah, going out with Katherine in a bit” I say, using Katie’s full name to disguise the fact that she’s Freddie’s sister. There is a girl in my history class called Katherine Anderson, so I’m not exactly lying and plucking the name out of nowhere.

“That’s nice, anywhere special?” 

“Just the shopping centre I say, forcing myself to smile. 

“Ah, be careful up there, heard about some funny guys playing up” Tony says suddenly, there’s a smirk on his face and he looks right at me, and I know that he knows but he’s choosing to keep it to himself, to use it against me. 

“Don’t worry, I will” I say to spite him; I carry my mug through to the living room and sit in the arm chair and drink it quickly. Katie will be here shortly, but it can’t come quick enough. The minutes tick by slowly and my tea goes cold eventually. It feels like years until Katie finally texts me saying that they’re round the corner, I fly from the sofa leaving my cold tea on the coffee table before grabbing my coat and running out of the door without saying goodbye to anyone. I jog down the road, and look back a few times to make sure nobody has followed me. I spot the large, black range rover parked on Blewitt Street and I know instantly that it’s One Two’s, the number plate that reads ‘12’ is a good indication. I check around me – Tony having made me increasingly paranoid – before getting in. 

“Nice of you to join us Bella, always good to see a pretty face” One Two says, looking at me through the mirror, I blush as I put my seat belt on, instantly Katie lurches into conversation about what she needs to buy and the make-up she wants. 

Later on, when we’ve all regrouped after separating, I pull Freddie aside.

“Tony has a large tattoo on his back of a cobra with initials by it, what does it mean?” 

“His gang is called the ‘King Cobra’s’ King because of his last name and cobra’s because of their power and venom” He says, his eyes filling with something that looks like hatred. 

“My dad has the same sort of thing on his arm, what does that mean?” Freddie looks at me with sympathy before he continues. 

“It means he’s part of the same gang, though he’s not related to the King’s. If he was, like Tony’s the tattoo would be on his back, but because he isn’t his would be somewhere else on the body, like you say, on the arm” I don’t answer Freddie, instead I think back to what George said. “You’ve got a lot to learn about your family, and I just hope you do it soon” Was that what he meant? What sort of gang are Tony and my dad in? And why have I never known about it before.

**Author's Note:**

> so i know this is rubbish, but i'm enjoying writing it and i wanted to post it.


End file.
